Gas cell of airships



Aug. 4, 1925. 1,548,336

K. SILLER GAS CELL OF AIRSHIPS Filed Feb. 11, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS K.SLLER GAS CELL O? AIRSHIPS Filed Feb. 31, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 I e C l INVENTOR T fl jw/y ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 4, 1925.

I UNITED STATES KARL SILLER, OF FBIEDBICHSHAFEN, BODENSEE, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO LUFT SCHIFFBAU ZEPPELIN GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRANKTER HAFTUNG, OF FRIED- BICHSHAFEN, BODENSEE, GERMANY.

GAS cm. or AIBSHIPS.

Application filed February 11, 1925. Serial- No. 8,342.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL SILLER, a citizen of Germany, and a resident of Friedrichshafen, Bodensee, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas Cells of Airships, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gas cells of airships and more especially airships of the rigid type.

Rigid airships are usually made up of longitudinal members and cross members, the main cross members subdividing the inner space of the hull into socalled compartments. Into these compartments the cells are inserted which are inflated with the lifting gas. There are two kinds of lifting gas, one is inflammable, the other is not. Of course non-inflammable as, for example helium, is preferred, but it as two disadvantages. These are that it is heavier for example than hydrogen, an inflammable gas, and therefore produces less buoyancy, and then it is very expensive. It has therefore been suggested to combine two gases of the different kinds so as to make best use of their individual characteristics. My invention shows how this can be accomplished in a most successful Way.

Within the usual gas cell of approximatel cylindrical shape I provide a second cylin rical wall which joins to the end walls of the main cell, makin them common to both cells. The inner cel space is inflated with inflammable lifting gas while the surrounding circumferential jacket space contains the non-inflammable lifting gas. Thus the inflammable gas is protected by an outer jacket ofnon;inflammable gas, but at the end walls, where such protection is not so necessary as these walls are not exposed but touching the adjacent cells, such noninflammable jacket is limited to the corresponding ring space. Such combination gas cell has the advantages of easy construction and of comparative lightness. For the purpose of transmitting inner stresses resulting from diiferenences in buoyancy of the 'two kinds of gas means may be provided for transmitting such stresses to the commonend walls, or other means may connect the outer circumferential wall to the inner one and also to the hull structure, if necessary.

Having given a general explanation of my invention 1 now want to point it out in detail referring to the drawing which shows examples embodying my invention.

Fig. l'is a longitudinal section of a compartment and of the gas cell taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig.' 2 is a corresponding front view on the end wall of the cell and is at the same time a cross section of the ships hull taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section in part of a gas cell taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 4 and showing an example differing from Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is the corresponding cross section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

A compartment of the hull is confined by two adjacent main cross members b and by the connecting longitudinal members a. Into such a compartment the gas cell is inserted. The network of wire bracing and the string net supporting the walls of the gas cell are not shown. Also the outer cover on the hull is not represented.

The example given in Figs. 1 and 2 shows a main cell having end walls 0 and a cylindrical wall e. spherical wall 0 is fastened, separating the inner gas space W from the thereby created jacket space S. The seam where these walls meet is shown at d. A special strap is is provided which may have eyelets, not represented, from which lacesmay connect to the cross members 71 of the hull.

In the example shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the inner gas space has An upper inner wall 0 is fastened to the end walls 6 at the seams d. A lower inner wall 0 is provided in the same way, and both walls '0 and 0 are jointed at the longitudinal seam 7". These straps iu having eyelets m are provided, from which tension member g, for example laces, connect to eyelets n situated in straps 2' which are fastened to the outer circumferential wall 6. Othermeans, not represented, may connect the outer surface of wall e where strapsi are situated with the longitudinal members a for the purpose of transmitting stresses from the space W to the hull.

In both example the inner spaces W are assumed to be inflated with an inflammable lifting gas, for example hydrogen, While cylindrical shape.

the jackets S confine a non-inflammable lifting gas, for example helium.

I do not want to limit myself to the exact details of the examples described and shown in the drawing as many variations will occur to people skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In a rigid airship comprising longitudinal and cross members, a compartment confined by two of said cross members, and a combination gas cell inserted in said compartment, said gas cell having an inner space and a circumferential jacket space, the inner space being confined by an inner circumferential wall and the jacket space being confined by said inner circumferential wall and an outer circumferential wall,

both said spaces having common end walls to which said two circumferential walls are connected.

2. In a rigid airshi comprising longitudinal and cross mem ers, a compartment confined by two of said cross members, and a combination gascell inserted in said compartment, said gas cell having an inner space and a circumferential jacket space, the inner space being confined by an inner circumferential wall and the jacket space being confined by said inner circumferential wall and an outer circumferential wall, both said spaces having common end walls to which said two circumferential walls are connected, said inner space being inflated with inflammable lifting gas, and said jacket space being inflated with non-inflammable lifting gas.

3. In a rigid airship comprising a hull made up of longitudinal and cross members, a compartment in said hull confined by two of said cross members, a combination gas cell having two substantially parallel and disc-shaped end walls and an inner and an outer circumferential wall and means for connecting said circumferential walls with each other.

4:. In a rigid airship comprising a hull made up of longitudinal and cross members, a compartment in said hull confined by two of said cross members, a combination gas cell having two substantially parallel and disc-shaped end walls and an inner and an outer circumferential wall and means for connecting said outer circumferential wall with said inner circumferential wall and with said hull.

KARL SILLER. 

